Spring bed-bottom.



PATENTED SEPT. 8, 1903.

G. B. SMITH.

SPRING BED BOTTOM.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 23, 1901.

.DD B .nd hD NO MODEL.

EY ATTE! AT1-Sin UNITED STATES Patented September 8, 1903.

GARY B. SMITH, VOF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPRING BED-BOTTOM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,368, dated September 8, 1903. Application filed December 23,1901. Serial No. 86,977.` (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GARY B. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of' Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Bed-Bottoms; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it ro appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to spring bed-bottoms; and the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts substantially as shown and described, and particularly i5 pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of one style of spring-bottom embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of a section or portion of zo the said bottom shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a cross-section of a rail of angle-iron and a corner-section of the bottom as it rests thereon. Fig. 4 is an enlarged Vcross-section of a side rail or tube of the bed-bottom frame and z5 one end of one of the wire strands engaged therein. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of a wire clip for uniting the bottom strands. Fig. 6 Vis an end view of the spring-bottom partly unfolded; and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of 3o a portion of an end rail, showing the slot and struck-up plate therein for securing the ends of the spring-wires.

In the form of the bottom-frame herein shown the said frame is comprised of two equal sections A and B, alike in al1 particulars, and pivoted at the middle of the whole frame upon trunnions c, where said sections are joined on a head C, on which the elbows a and h, respectively, of the frame-sections 4o are pivoted. Each frame-section has other elbows, d, at the corners, by which the side rails g and end rails 7L of said frames are joined and made rigid with each other. The sol] KMcalled rails g and h of said frames or frame- 45 sections are preferably tubular and may be referred to as tubes; but they are not necessarily limited to this form, and a truss or brace or tube D carries the heads C on its ends and serves the further purposes ofa middle brace between the ends of the bed and a point of engagement for the stay chains, 'wil-es, or cables 7c, which extend from the sides of the bed tothe said truss D. Itis noticed that the said truss, which is preferably tubular, is inclined downward at both ends, so that the body thereof is on a considerably lower plane than the remainder of the mattress-frame. This not only removes it from beneath the spring-bottom as apossible obstruction to the occupant of the bed, but by attaching the inner ends of the stay chains or cables k to said lower or depressed portion of the truss or brace E it is impossible to sag the middle of the bed below a horizontal plane where the outspread frame, as seen in Fig. I, is supported only at the corners and has no middle support at all except such aspthe stay-chains afford; yet both sections are easily folded to each-other, as seen in Fig. 6, and the frame is thus rendered exceedingly convenient for storingaway and for shipping. Furthermore, by having the brace-truss at the middle ot' the bed I can use much lighter end bars or tubes 7L than would be practicable if no brace were present, as is shown.

G represents the wires or strands of wire which support the mattress proper. (Not shown.) These strands are formed in this instance of a series of siX distinct wires of the same size wound on a fairly long coil or twist about a common center and constituting a closely-coiled strand when thus made. This manufacture is cut into lengths corresponding to the entire length of the bed, as shown, and each strand is independent and separate from all the others, except as temporarily tied to another by wire clip II, and is sepa rately fastened at its ends in openings in end rails 7L, as shown. These openingsrin this frame preferably are transverse slots 2 along the outer sides of said rails, behind which in said rails are metal plates 3, having depressions or holes 4 to receive the ends of strands G, Fig. 4. To effect entrance of the ends of the strands, they have to be bent at a sharp angle, as seen in Fig. 4-, and the confinement of said ends within tube 7L at this angle is sufficient to hold said strandsfroin. pulling out despite all the possible weight that may be brought upon the bed. Indeed, the strands would not pull out if they were not engaged in plate 3; but by striking up said plate at suitable intervals I make the holes 4:

therein serve also as means for holding and spacing the wires uniformly apart. This construction of a Wire bed-bottom with independent strands has several very im portant advantages. For example, if any one or more strands become more or less slack and require taking up, any given strand can be drawn out by hand at either end and cut off by imeans of nippers or other tool and rebent and placed back, and this can be done by any one who has the strength and the means Without skilled help. Then, again, ifa strand or strands be stretched too tight they can be let out by simply shortening the extremity 6 at one or both ends-that is, bendingit nearer its end.. Lastly and not least in importance is the advantage of a bed which affords each occupant an independent place according to his Weight, and the greater weight of one does not sag the Whole bed, so that the lighter person is necessarily brought into that sag and cannot help rolling against the heavier person. This is true vif both sides of the bed be stretched to the same tension. Even then the heavy person cannot vdepress the strands he does not rest upon, and this leaves the other person With practically a separate or individual bed where rest can be comfortable; but I can stretch the spring-strands according to the occupants,and one half of the bed can be for one weighing, say, two hundred pounds, and the other half for one weighing one hundred pounds, and by properly adjusting the springs both can be brought to the same level.

The clips H are made, preferably, of Wire, substantially as here shown, and have eyes 7 through which they usually are clenched on one o f the strands and hooked to engage over the next strand.. This still leaves all the strands free for lengthwise adj ustment,while it unites the strands here and there just enough to bring an adjacent strand into measurable action with its neighbor. The bed is thus left independent in all the essential particulars already recited, but is also rendered cooperative and at last unitary as a structure for use and sale. The construction of the wire strands with a series of wires as here shown makes strands which are 'exceedingly strong in tensile strength and Vet have a sufiicient spring yield to give all the spring action a good spring mattress should have. It is calculated that these mattress-supporting frames will ber-supported along their sides upon the side rail L of the bedstead, Fig. 3. The ends of the cable-rods K project downward and serve as a stop for the frame bearing against side rails L of the bedstead. The t heads C are preferably of cast metal, with trunnions or st uds c to make pivoted engagement with elbows a and b and annular studs for tubular brace D, or said brace may be socketed in said heads. Fig. 6 shows the frame partly folded. When this occurs, the brace or truss D comes inside, as shown, and said frame can be folded close together.

What I claim is- 1. In spring bed-bottoms, a pair of frames, a trussbrace between and. beneath said frames, and a part at each end rigid with said brace on which sai'd'frames have separate pivots, and cables connecting said brace and frames, substantially as described.

2. In spring bed-bottoms, side sections having separate pivots at their ends, a brace between and beneath the pivots of said sections and depressed relatively to said sections between its ends, and cables connecting said brace with the sides of said sections from the depressed portion of the brace, substantially as described.

3. In spring bed-bottoms,a frame comprising a pair of sections and heads on which said sections are separately pivoted, a trussbrace carrying said heads, and cables at each end from said truss-brace to the sides of said sections, substantially as described.

4. In spring bed-bottoms, two bottom-sections, heads intermediate of said sections on which said sections are separately pivoted, and a depressed braceconnecting said heads beneath the bed-bottom, substantially as described.

5. A bed-bottom comprising a frame and separate closely-Wound coiled wire strands stretched in parallel lines between the ends of the frame, and a series of clips connecting parallel strands in a broken line from side to side of said frame and whereby the strain upon said strands'at one side of said hed-bottom is independently provided f'or without side pull on the strands at the other side, substantially as described.

Witness my hand tothe foregoing specification this Gth day of December, 1901.

GARY B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

v R. B. MOSER,

H. F. FISHER.

IOO 

